Gardening anyone?

[messajarjar]

Does anyone enjoy any type of gardening, flowers or edibles? I am huge flower buff. We had an unexpected frost last night and I went and bagged all my rose bushes so they wouldn't get frostbitten! I though this would be a cool thread to chat about gardening and maybe share some pictures. Anyone?:)

[mkrebecca]

I love gardening!! I have been planting like mad for the last two weeks....We have about half of our garden in already. My hubby put a nice big plow in one of my flower beds!!! I guess he needs it to have some of his touch!! My favorite is tulips! I keep trying to get more and more, but for some reason they don't bloom well....any idea why?

[messajarjar]

Don't know...never tried tulips. I have Iceberg Hosta, Lillies, and rose bushes. I can barely keep up with all of them! :p

I do know the rose bushes get infested with aphids...little bugs who literaaly suck the life out of the plants. I use a special spray to keep them away, but I have to apply it often


I only use Jonathan green 5-10-5 fertilizer. It was recommended to me by the nursery. It's relatively inexpensive and it works great!!:D

[mkrebecca]

I have lots of roses and I have never had any kind of bugs on them....that stinks that you do.

[messajarjar]

Someone told me it's because we ge so much moisture here...it attracts them apparantly!:mad:

[othermo]

Tulips will not bloom if the site where they are planted is too wet. Needs to be well drained location....

You can order bugs from the gardening catalogs for the aphids on roses..
My mil has about a 1oo roses and this is what she uses...also does ladybugs on tomato plants for bugs..etc.

[mkrebecca]

we get beetles in our potatoes and can not get rid of them for nothing in this world!!! any suggestions?????????

[Jenni232323]

DH and I just started getting into gardening. It's our 2nd full summer having a house with a yard, so over the last 2 weekends we've made so many trips to local garden centers it's crazy!
We're going for the tropical rainforest look in our back yard, figured they'd be a good starting point to see how good our gardening skills are. So far we've planted 2 orange bird of paradise, 6 banana trees, 1 pigmy date palm, elephant ears, and 2 other small trees we transplanted from my MIL's yard - I still have to get their names but I know one's like a plumeria Hawaiian tree.
My neighbor surprised me with a rose bush in a pot - I don't know if I have skills to keep that alive, so I'm thinking of leaving it in the pot for a few weeks - should I plant it in the yard instead, or can I get a bigger pot and keep it there permanently?

[utkd29]

I am terrible at gardening, flowers and anything else that is green. I would like to start a VERY small garden with things like peppers, tomatoes, and things like that but I dont know where to start. Do you put them in the ground or in pots or what? I know this may be a stupid question, but I have never done it!

[utkd29]

Not a stupid question at all. All of the gardeners had to start gardening at one time in life!

You can grow peppers and tomatoes quite well in pots. When I lived in apartments, duplexes, and other such rental housing and couldn't plant in the yard, I grew cherry tomatoes and peppers (and lots of flowers, too) quite successfully out on the patio, balcony, or in the atrium in patio pots. I just bought pots, potting soil, and plants. Made certain the pots had drain holes, put some small stone in the bottom of the pots to allow good drainage, added potting soil, then set in the plants. That was all there was to it--that and checking if they needed water daily.

The easiest way to start with gardening is just buying some of the plants on sale outside of the grocery store, the department store garden centers, or the hardware store garden centers. If you are going to plant them in the ground, not in pots, make certain that you clear off the existing vegetation such as grass and/or weeds thoroughly. I usually just use a spade or a square point shovel and cut the turf off and use it elsewhere to fill in any bare or low spots in the yard. (WARNING: call your utility locator service, JULIE, or whatever it is called in your area first to mark buried phone, cable, gas, and electric lines if you're going to be digging any deeper than a couple of inches--I lived in one area where the lazy cable companies only had their lines 1" under the ground--what a pain trying to plant anything!!) Loosen up the soil with a garden rake or a pronged thingie called a cultivator. If your soil is poor, you can work in some compost and garden soil from the store, too. Dig holes for your plants with a garden trowel, set in your plants, fill in the soil around them, and water. Check them daily, and water if needed.

If you decide to be more adventurous and start with seeds (getting a little late this year for seed starting), peat pots work well, as you can plant the whole thing directly into the garden, pot and all.

GREAT! Thanks for the info. With prices sky rocketing I can save some money doing it this way! I am going to try with just a few at first so I can see if I can keep them alive!

[jones10021]

My mom is obsessed with gardenning. She planta all kinds of flowers and veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers. Check out this site. You can even get free seed samples.

http://www.mowsgarden.com/freeoffers.htm

[Jenni232323]

Your yard sounds like a real beauty in the making! A Monstera will also grow really well in your yard--they're kind of neat looking. My cousin has a big one in her yard down there.

Yes, the rose will live just fine in a pot, as long as you don't let its feet get too wet. Make certain you have drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, so the roots don't sit in too much water--roses don't seem to like that very much. I kept a tree rose and four bush roses all in large patio pots in the Sonoran Desert, and they thrived with daily waterings, occasional fertilizing, and good drainage.

Thanks for the notes! I checked out Monstera photos online and do agree, they'd fit in perfectly! I only worry about the whole plant being poisonous, except for the fruit when ripe, but our dog doesn't bother the plants, or eat any of them now, so probably no concern there.
We went on vacation this weekend and came back to 3 beautiful roses on our potted (and well drained) rose bush - clipped them off and there are already 4 more buds showing :) Gardening just makes me smile!

[messajarjar]

Has anyone ever bought Jackson Perkin's Roses? They come as just a root in a box with a few branches. You're supposed to plant the entire thing because the boxes are biodegradable. I planted two candy cane tea rose bushes a couple of weeks ago, but a little bit of the box rims were above ground because I just wasn't strong enough to dig any further. I'm still waiting for the whole box to disinigrate. Any suggestions?

[bunny]

Has anyone ever bought Jackson Perkin's Roses? They come as just a root in a box with a few branches. You're supposed to plant the entire thing because the boxes are biodegradable. I planted two candy cane tea rose bushes a couple of weeks ago, but a little bit of the box rims were above ground because I just wasn't strong enough to dig any further. I'm still waiting for the whole box to disinigrate. Any suggestions?

you may want to find a way to get the soil looser around and under the rose bush so that when the bow does disinergrate the roots can grow . try to use a pitch fork that always workd for me if it's still to hard try it when the soil is wet. Hope this helps.

[ALawicki]

I am terrible at gardening, flowers and anything else that is green. I would like to start a VERY small garden with things like peppers, tomatoes, and things like that but I dont know where to start. Do you put them in the ground or in pots or what? I know this may be a stupid question, but I have never done it!

i can help you! i used to do one with my mom when i was little and loved it when they finally were done and i could eat them! its not too hard, you just gotta keep the pups out and probably all those cute bunnies you guys get!

[messajarjar]

you may want to find a way to get the soil looser around and under the rose bush so that when the bow does disinergrate the roots can grow . try to use a pitch fork that always workd for me if it's still to hard try it when the soil is wet. Hope this helps.

Thanks! Will try! The bushes are growing like crazy even though the boxes are still showing, so I hope that is a positive sign! :p

[bunny]

I have a question. when you plant potatoes do you put the eyes up or down?I planted them ones a couple of years ago but our soil was to hard. now that we have the soil loosened up I want to start again.

[messajarjar]

YAY!!!! I have little teensie rose buds (doing the happy dance). :D

[bunny]

YAY!!!! I have little teensie rose buds (doing the happy dance). :D

wow that is great! as the roses start to fade trim them off so you get more.
I'm happy too I have baby pea plants growing and even some buds on my strawberries.

[bunny]

Eyes up :)

...also trying potatoes again, but for the first time in, umm, one score and five years ago

Here's to a hopefully decent potato crop this year--or even just not an embarassing potato crop

Thank you!! I hope they grow well . It has been a little chilly here the peas and spinach like that but the tomatoes like it warmmer I might have to cover them with some plastic.

[messajarjar]

Okay girls...now is the time to show off the fruits of your labor...if you have any yet! Here are the first blooms of my roses so far. I'm so happy with them I want to show them off!!!:D

[Cpogie]

Okay girls...now is the time to show off the fruits of your labor...if you have any yet! Here are the first blooms of my roses so far. I'm so happy with them I want to show them off!!!:D

Beautiful Roses, I love the last one, the colors are awesome.

[messajarjar]

Beautiful Roses, I love the last one, the colors are awesome.

Thank you! I've been searching for Candy Cane Tea roses for several years now. I fond two Jackson Perkin's at Lowe's and moved them from the house to outside and back in every day until it got warm enough for them to survive in the ground. They are definitely worth the wait!! :p

[bunny]

Okay girls...now is the time to show off the fruits of your labor...if you have any yet! Here are the first blooms of my roses so far. I'm so happy with them I want to show them off!!!:D

absolutely beautiful! I don't have much to show yet and I'm a puter dumbo and can't seem to attach photos to the post . My irises are blooming and the veggies are doing good except for the bush beans dh said he might have planted them to deep . If I don't see anything by Sunday I will replant them.
Happy gardening!!!!!!

[momsangel]

very pretty flower

[Texmel]

Wow--sounds like y'all are having tons of success! My peonies (fuschia and pale pink) are exploding in the backyard. My son and I started mini pumpkins, grape and cherry tomatoes, and sunflowers inside with some flowers that I moved outside today. They are drinking up the sunshine. Hoping to get them in the ground this week!:D

[messajarjar]

very pretty flower

Beautiful!:)

How did you get the images to come up without having to click on them? Mine won't cut and paste...

[rebate queen]

Okay girls...now is the time to show off the fruits of your labor...if you have any yet! Here are the first blooms of my roses so far. I'm so happy with them I want to show them off!!!:D

Those are gorgeous! One of these days I'll have time for flowers again:o For now, it's all I can do to keep up with my high maitenance yard. It's hard to believe how much time it takes just to keep my little 1/2 acre cut, trimmed, edged, and somewhat weeded. You'd have to see it to truly understand, but I still love it. And one day.........flowers!!!:)

[bunny]

when we came home today we finally have some peas and broccoli in the garden now the sad news one of my hanging baskets is dead dead dead I don't think I can bring it back. My flower waterer must of missed that one while we were gone and it didn't rain for 2 weeks.

[utkd29]

I have a question about the Jalapeno plant I have. It looks like its doing good but the other day I noticed that there are white flower things on there. Is that normal?:confused:

[Jess0587]

I have a question about the Jalapeno plant I have. It looks like its doing good but the other day I noticed that there are white flower things on there. Is that normal?:confused:

Might be some kind of herb!!?? lmao!

[Cpogie]

I have a question about the Jalapeno plant I have. It looks like its doing good but the other day I noticed that there are white flower things on there. Is that normal?:confused:

That is where your peppers will grow from, so don't pick them off.

[utkd29]

That is where your peppers will grow from, so don't pick them off.

Ok, I am new at this so I though I planted the wrong thing:confused:

[Cpogie]

Ok, I am new at this so I though I planted the wrong thing:confused:

Nope nothing wrong, the more flowers the more peppers, yum!! You can always make poppers with them too, stuff them with cream cheese, put 1/2 slice of bacon around them and bake them......soooo good.

[utkd29]

Nope nothing wrong, the more flowers the more peppers, yum!! You can always make poppers with them too, stuff them with cream cheese, put 1/2 slice of bacon around them and bake them......soooo good.

I cook just about everything with peppers!

Do you know about how many peppers will generate from one plant?

[Cpogie]

I cook just about everything with peppers!

Do you know about how many peppers will generate from one plant?

I love peppers too!!
It all depends on the plant, the more flowers the more peppers, I don't know if you will get more peppers once those are grown or more along the way? good question.

[bunny]

I think today will be a great day to prep my flower bed for fall and winter. Clean the debris and plant some mums and put some peet moss down. It should be to cold for snakes so I should be safe.

[aroggs]

I need to clean up my garden for winter too. I take off dead leaves and trim up the bushes, but I dont put down new mulch til spring and we do it every other year.

Happy Fall !!

[bunny]

I need to clean up my garden for winter too. I take off dead leaves and trim up the bushes, but I dont put down new mulch til spring and we do it every other year.

Happy Fall !!

I just put some peet moss down so the ground isn't Na ked for the winter. It was nice to be out there with out sweating to much and no bugs.

[mkrebecca]

we planted some mums, they told us to mulch them real good and they will come back. I have not had any luck with them coming back. I need to get some more bulbs to plant, move a few things that I put in the wrong spot and plant some poppy seeds that my aunt sent me. I love working in the flower beds in the fall! It is much better than when it is 90!!!!!

[bunny]

we planted some mums, they told us to mulch them real good and they will come back. I have not had any luck with them coming back. I need to get some more bulbs to plant, move a few things that I put in the wrong spot and plant some poppy seeds that my aunt sent me. I love working in the flower beds in the fall! It is much better than when it is 90!!!!!

I get about half of my mums back if you do get them back you have to pinch them back in the summer or they will be tall and skinny not nice and bushy like the ones in the stores. good luck

[mkrebecca]

I found that out the hard way....I could not figure out why they were so tall! So some I get pinched off and some I don't...I don't always remember to do it, and when I am thinking about it, I am not ready to be working in the flowers!! So I just buy new plants every year! Maybe someday the beds will be full!!! I have lots of space to fill up!!

[lakeminer]

Seed catalogs are starting to come in. Its so cruel when you live where i do spring wont be here til May!!!!!!!!!!!!:(

[Cpogie]

I just got my first seed catalog today also, The Cook's Garden.....everything looks yummy!! BUT, no gardening here until after Mother's Day in May.

[mkrebecca]

cant wait!! I was just thinking about my spring flowers today! but it will be awhile before they are up!Our friend owns a greenhouse, but this year he is closing the doors, not enough business, so I will have to get my stuff from someone else! bummer!!!

[bunny]

gurneys is running a special if you order 50 dollars of merchandise you get 25 dollars off. . I ordered 50 strawberry plants 4 patio blueberry plants and 5 canadian hemlock shrubs. I have a bad case of cabin fever and can't wait to get outside and get my hands dirty. www.gurneys.com

[momsangel]

thanks for the link:)

[Dreamie61]

I just got my first seed catalog today also, The Cook's Garden.....everything looks yummy!! BUT, no gardening here until after Mother's Day in May.

I order from this catalog and love there seeds and plants for my vegetable and flower garden. I placed my order for this yr last week. I cant wait to get back outside!

[bunny]

I have once again started some plants indoors broccoli is growing but the stems are very thin, the tomato plants seem to be doing well so far and spaghetti squash is doing very well. does any one know what I can do to get my stems stronger?

[utkd29]

We are planting a garden this year for the first time ever. Any suggestions for a first timer? :p

[bunny]

We are planting a garden this year for the first time ever. Any suggestions for a first timer? :p

rototiller rototiller rototiller! ad some fertilizer and till it in . filter fabric is wonderful to keep the weeds down and hold some moisture in the dirt for you. I don't know of you have japanese beetles but I would invest in a couple of traps for them and put out some small bowls of beer to keep the slugs off you plants. plant peas , spinach, lettuce early then you can plant them again in august for another crop they like cooler weather . if you have any questions just ask I will try to help if I can.

[Jess0587]

Gardening is fun! I helped my mom and step dad get started on their new garden a few weekends ago. They tilled it and then I helped them plant some Onions and Lettuce for right now.

An idea might be to look up on the internet for a gardening chart, depending on what exactly you were wanting to plant and grow.. so that you plant the right foods at the right time so that they will grow and turn out like they are supposed to. Good luck!

[utkd29]

I want to plant cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers, and a few herbs. Will all those things grow good together?

And if you plant lettuce can you freeze it? I dont know what I would do it I had a ton of it all at the same time. :o

[ALawicki]

Just about anything will grow together as long as you give it a little space. Do like Jess said and look on the internet for a chart or something. My parents used to grow peppers, watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a few other things all in about a 12 x 12ft spot. They always had a ton of stuff. I am going to try and do one at their house this year! Also planting a bunch of plants for our place. We have such a large patio with nothing on it. I bought a bunch of pots at Old Time Pottery over the weekend. Now just have to figure out what all I want.:D

[bunny]

I want to plant cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers, and a few herbs. Will all those things grow good together?

And if you plant lettuce can you freeze it? I dont know what I would do it I had a ton of it all at the same time. :o

I don't remember were I saw it ; but I know some herbs you should not plant by tomatoes If I find the info I'll try to post it for you. as for the cucumbers if you take a piece of fence and curve it up against the outside fence the vines will grow up it and the cucumbers will dangle down so you can see them and they wont get the spots on them.

[bunny]

www.minifarmhomestead.com

go to gardening then to companion planting they have a chart for all kinds of stuff hope this helps.

[utkd29]

I don't remember were I saw it ; but I know some herbs you should not plant by tomatoes If I find the info I'll try to post it for you. as for the cucumbers if you take a piece of fence and curve it up against the outside fence the vines will grow up it and the cucumbers will dangle down so you can see them and they wont get the spots on them.

Thanks for the info! I know there are certain things that dont do well together, I will look on the site you provided!!:)

[momsangel]

My garden is off and running already!! I'm excited:D

[bunny]

My garden is off and running already!! I'm excited:D

lucky you I'm a little jelous. mine is still dirt and since the fist day of "spring" it's been down right chilly.

[utkd29]

I planted my garden. Now let's just hope I can make it grow!! I planted bell peppers, banana peppers, japalanos, lettuce, tomotoes, cilantro, and onions. :)

[bvanpeltsw]

I planted my garden. Now let's just hope I can make it grow!! I planted bell peppers, banana peppers, japalanos, lettuce, tomotoes, cilantro, and onions. :)

Sounds delightful!!!!

[LadySmilie]

I planted the Campbells tomato seeds in one of those peat pellets Jiffy Greenhouse kits (holds 72 peat pellets).

I have other tomato seeds, planted them as well.

The campbells tomato seeds took a longer time to sprout out, as the other seeds sprouted out very quickly. I think maybe the campbells seeds were older or drier.. IDK!!

have anyone else starting to grow the Campbells tomato seeds yet?

I don't know what I am going to do with 72 tomato plants. I have big , med, and small tomatos. a variety of them. Since I got a greenhouse now I can grow all kinds of vegs, herbs and other things


Today I just got done building a garden box to grow carrots, radishes, lettuce and vegetables in. So my family and I will be eating a lot of vegetables. :P still got more room to build another box.

I tried growing lettuce just in the hard clay dirt last year but it didn't work very well. and the rabbits and other animals ate on them...

with the box now I can grow lettuce alot better. I need to make something to go around the box make a chicken wire frame that I can remove all four sides and put a tarp or netting at the top to keep animals out..

going to start growing herbs, and flowers. I might try house plants.

right now I am trying to get the greenhouse ready, just have to get the temperature right, need to get some plant stands, tables. (been going around to garage sells, looking for metal stands or old metal tables, wire racks, and something to put plants on, ceramic cups, bowls, plates and saucers (dont matter if it is chipped or leaks, will have to drill a hold in the bottom of the cups and bowls..)

Order tree some more fruit and nuts trees, a donut peach tree, cherry trees, walnuts trees. I have regular peaches but at the store they have those donut peaches for like over a 1 for each one, but so very good to eat. and I was looking through a seed and plant catalog and saw they had donut peaches, so I order one. It will be couple of years before I get to enjoy those donut peaches.

I have corn, beans, squash, turnip greens, onions, garlic, asparagus.

so I have a wide range of foods growing in the garden. what ever I can not grow in the garden, I will grow in the greenhouse...

might try making compost again. I have a compost maker. it gets annoying with the bugs and it stinks at times. I wonder I have to grow worms too. have to see down the road if my gardening works out this year.

[LadySmilie]

sites that I order seeds, plants and trees from.

http://gurneys.com
http://www.burpee.com
www.johnnyseeds.com
http://millernurseries.com (has the best quality of trees when shipped out)

also do a coupon code search online. I found a lot of good deals.. sometimes you have to type in each code to see which one gives a better deal, some are like 5 percent off, 10 percent off, free shipping and handling.

gurneys have wacky sales, one day it might be like 60 percent off, then the next day it might be 70 percent off.. today it is 62 percent off. it's crazy...


order trees from gurneys and burpee before the quality of the trees were not as good as it should be, did not look very healthy. I think I had some trees to die that came from those two companies in years past. and the same when buying locally at the store some trees. some did great and others didn't

This year I did a seed and plant catalog search and found some more seed and plant catalogs got alot of seed and plant catalogs, I made sure to do some more research and about millernurseries and over all people like their trees they ordered from there. Ordered some trees and week later was shipped to my house, the trees were in the best shape they could be, very healthy. got them planted that day, so give it a year to see how well they thrive.

[bunny]

we made our garden bigger this year. we have everything planted now we have to wait . I do have some buds on my patio tomato plant and my strawberries that I got from gurneys are doing great nice and big with blooms on most of them I did lose 1 plant but that is ok because they sent me 2 extra. As soon as I can bend over with out my head exploding or tipping over I want to get some weeding done (they always grow faster than the plants).

[bunny]

I saw some baby green beans in our garden and 1 little tomato. the rest of the plants look good so far. I can't wait to get some peas out of there. the lettuce is yummy we planted red sail this year very tasty.

[dreamweaver236]

my fave thing is planting flowers. it's great therapy and i love being outdoors. :)

[messajarjar]

My rose bushes are doing awesome this year. I bought a new one-A Princess Diana (Jackson-Perkins hybrid tea (pink)). It has incredibly large blooms and lasts about 2 weeks before it dies! My two Candy Cane (red and white swirl) bushes are blooming like crazy as well. I keep a vase on my desk at work and constantly keep cut fresh rose buds in them. Everbody loves to come by and sniff!

We also started a veggie garden again after many years. I just had to tie up my tomatos because they've grown so tall. We've had almost nothing but rain here for the last two weeks!:eek:

[mkrebecca]

how is everyone's garden doing????
Mine is growing so good!!!!
We are picking and canning and freezing so much right now!!
My cucumbers are the biggest I have even had!! the tomatoes are loaded, but none red yet! I can't wait!!! I am waiting for a big fat tomatoe sandwich!!!!
I hope everyones is doing as good as ours is!!!

[utkd29]

Mine is doing good. This is the first year I have planted so I am a little shocked! I have tons and tons of cherry tomatoes, picked a few peppers...still waiting on the onions, lettuce and bell peppers.

[ibeapoet]

LOTS AND LOTS of tomatoes and tommy toes..... not to many ripe though. Several small cucumbers, okra, and bell peppers. I'm going to have a slew of beans and corn and just a few cantaloupe. YUMMY